SOURCE DAILY HERALD: Panic and smoke filled the air on Sunday afternoon when a WestJet Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Toronto, Canada, suffered a landing gear collapse at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), sending the Boeing 737 skidding down the runway and forcing the airport to shut down.
The incident occurred around 1:31pm as WestJet flight WS2276 touched down. What began as a seemingly normal landing quickly turned into a runway emergency when the aircraft’s right landing gear gave way.
Plane spotter Paul Ellinger, who witnessed the event, described the shocking moment to The Daily Herald. “The Aircraft came down as normal. It was a bit high, but upon landing, the right landing gear collapsed,” he said.
With the failure, the aircraft screeched along the tarmac causing sparks. “The right landing gear collapsed and the aircraft just started screeching on the runway. I must say kudos to the Firefighters. They were on point with their work and everyone was able to get out safely. I am not sure whether there were injuries inside of the aircraft, but from what I saw everyone came out safely. It was scary stuff, but the response was very well executed,” Ellinger recalled.
As emergency crews raced in, firefighters quickly covered the area with foam to prevent flames. Passengers evacuated through emergency slides in what Ellinger called a remarkably organised response. He said passengers were in obvious shock, but said everyone seemed to realise that everything was under control. “Everyone came out through the emergency slides. There were kids, who came out also. The passengers were placed on a bus which went straight into the terminal. It looked very well organised,” he said.
The veteran plane spotter, who has observed aircraft incidents before, stressed the gravity of what unfolded. “I’ve experienced gear landing collapse before with a cargo plane from UPS but nothing major with a big aircraft like this. This was my first major one like that for a Boeing 737,” he said.
Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company (PJIAE) later issued a statement confirming the details of the incident. “PJIAE confirms that an incident occurred today [Sunday] involving a WestJet Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operating as flight WS2276 from Toronto (YYZ) to St. Maarten (SXM). The aircraft landed at 1:31pm local time,” the statement read.
“PJIAE has contacted local contractors with heavy equipment to assist in the safe removal of the aircraft from the runway. Once the aircraft is removed and the runway is inspected by SXM Civil Aviation, operations will resume,” the airport company added.
All relevant civil aviation authorities and SXM stakeholders have been notified. “Passengers and the public are advised to contact WestJet directly via their website for further updates regarding the flight,” PJIAE said.
Although official reports on injuries remain unconfirmed, eyewitness accounts suggest all passengers made it off safely. The runway remains closed until the aircraft is cleared and safety inspections are complete.
In a follow-up statement, PJIAE confirmed there were no injuries. “We are relieved to report that there were no injuries. Out of an abundance of caution, three individuals were taken for medical evaluation. There was no fire; however, contact with the runway caused damage to the aircraft’s right wing,” the statement read..
